Bosnian police arrest former general suspected of war crimes

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Police have arrested a former Bosnian army general suspected of war crimes against Serb prisoners of war during the 1992-95 war.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement Tuesday that Sakib Mahmuljin is suspected of having not prevented a mujahedeen unit that operated on the territory he was in charge of in central Bosnia from kidnapping and killing 50 prisoners that Mahmuljin's units arrested during a 1995 battle.

The prisoners were taken by regular Bosnian army units, but then abducted by the mujahedeen and executed. Prosecutors believe that Mahmuljin had information that the mujahedeen were preparing to commit the crime and once they did, he failed to punish them.

During previous trials at the U.N. tribunal in The Hague, judges established that the mujahedeen in reality operated as paramilitary unit.